#what a Narrative can change; what it can't....

[no-resolution]

One of my least favorite tropes is a character who feels burdened by their power or general uniqueness losing their powers/becoming a normal human at the end of the story. I think that's part of why the ending of BTVS is so powerful to me.

Buffy has been doomed by the narrative for the whole show. She has a sacred destiny to be the protector of the world. This gives her great powers but also means that she can never live a normal life. She HAS to protect the world because she's the only one who can. She can't just give up because who else will do it? This is a burden that she carries and can only escape in death. Except that she can't even do that because she doesn't even stay dead.

Throughout the show, Buffy pushes against this role. She wants to be a normal girl. However, over the course of the show, she realizes that that isn't just impossible, but also not necessarily what she wants. She is the Slayer. That's a part of her, just as much as the quippy valley girl that wants a boyfriend and wants to be homecoming queen is. We see her slowly reconcile both parts of her personality through her trials and tribulations. She learns that being the Slayer can be fun, that she enjoys the kill, but that it doesn't make her a bad person just because she enjoys it. She's so full of light and love that it inspires others around her to be better people, too.

The show ends with Buffy not giving up being the Slayer, but by freeing herself from her fate by sharing her power with others. Now, she isn't the only Slayer in the world. She has a community of women that can help her bear the burden. If she wants to, Buffy could give up being the Slayer, but she can also still work to protect the world. She can do whatever she wants. She still has her power, but it doesn't rule her anymore. It sends a message of liberation through community, rather than liberation through changing yourself (as would have been the case if she had given up being the Slayer, in my opinion), which I think is much more uplifting and altogether healthier message to send to the audience.

[godslush]

Not really a question but maybe a question if in my ramblings I can think of something. Your art of Spine and Sam? From Look Outside? Honestly changed me on her character. I thought she was just a creepy monster and killed her. But, man, all the sweet art you’ve made, or the creepy things you’ve explored with them… it’s just!!! So good!!?!!??! It has changed my brain chemistry I love Spine now and I LOOOOVE your art of her immensely. You’re the GOAT for all that fantastic fanart and just. I’m sorry I’m rambling but yeah. I love you

*evilly tapping steepled fingers together * yeeeessssss more meat for the pilessss....

I mean... *cough*

Ok, all joking aside, THANK YOU so much! 😭

Honestly, it's funny how far this has come. When I originally posted screens of the full encounter after it was added, I was on the side of "ok that's not cool you can't just do/say that" and figured (at the time) it was justified to be filled with lead.

The fact that I eventually just saw the... interesting narrative that came with the idea (plus my own experiences) led me to start writing this weird loneliness narrative with Sam as the lonely one. It wasn't until Blue and Orange that I started to think about the ramifications of Spine being trapped where she is, and how she might very well also be lonely... She just had the misfortune of being physically and mentally mutilated beforehand so her ability to communicate it has been warped outside of human reason and emotion.

I find that fascinating.

That was before 1.5. Shortly before the beta dropped.

Then 1.5 beta happened and eventually released and SHATTERED what information we're given about Spine as a character, and really let that narrative blossom, and I love that more and more people are slowly realizing that... yeah, she's a creep, but she's a creep who's really really interesting to try and understand, and even pity (and maybe find kinda hot, if you're into that sort of thing; I see y'all in my tags, lmao I'm totally not one of you in a weird ace way).

Even Frankie understands what he's done, hahahaha.

I wouldn't say Spine is a 'popular' character, but the people who do realize they like her tend to REALLY like her. Once she gets her claws in your heart, she's hard to pry out. She's just so polarizing, which is really fun, and Frankie has said he really likes that about her (I can't get the stream moment he made a really funny remark about the different kinds of Spine opinions, because that segment of stream unfortunately got DMCA muted).

[gorjee-art]

Your HofC AU is really interesting and I absolutely love it! I can't recall ever seeing an infection AU play off a curse causes by chaos ( then again maybe I just haven't looked well enough )

But I did have a question pertaining to the AU. What was the creative process like for its creation? How did you settle on your infection AU having a curse rather than a virus or parasite? Was Discord and chaos always the catalyst to the outbreak, or did it change overtime?

Sorry if I'm a bit overwhelming with this ask, but your AU is genuinely one of the only infection AU's I've felt a draw to after seeing one post about it ( wasn't even an official post by you, it was fanart! ). It probably has something to do with my frustration at the lack of Discord in infection AUs bc he kinda is the fix-all for any issue, but this ask is already long enough so I won't rant here.

Firstly! Awww...<:) Secondly, my creative process, short answer? It came to be like a bat out of hell in the middle of my sleep, and I got so pissed off at myself that I was IMMEDIATELY entranced by the idea, that I grumbled as I stomped over to my cintiq and made a quick doodle showcasing my idea of a Fluttershy with twilight's severed head (Haha mimir style how funny, i'm funny) as I passed out once again.

The long answer? Well you're right on the money when a big force is a...frustration when it comes to the lack of Discord's power both in the original show and several infection au's where his chaos magic is overlooked in infection au's. Now I'm not fully knocking it as it just might not be a narrative that the writer wants but I always felt as though Discord as even a concept in the show has a--tinge of horror in it.

His nonchalant attitude towards his ability to change the world with (quite literally) the snap of his finger, change minds of ponies and seemingly "corrupt" it (ie Discorded states, Screwball I will get to her eventually) , and mind you...give and take away limbs of ponies with a flash to stop them from "cheating" at his maze, while Celestia has to do a whole song and dance to give twilight her wings, told me that Discord is a near ancient deity, a myth, an impossibility not meant to be comprehended, but what INTERESTED ME was his childish, mortal want, to be loved.

What happens when a force of nature, the nature of entropy and chaos, wants to be human? Breaking said laws of nature to present himself as mortal for the sake of making friends. Good friends at that, (I will get to cosmos eventually), sounds like a greek tragedy to me. What happens when hades gets tired of living underground? To break the laws of nature! Is the very law of Discord, and the idea that alone would make him lose his control over his power TERRIFIES me.

I like inescapable horror, ie Junji Ito's Uzumaki, the various Silent Hills, Hereditary, and especially Darkwood, Oh god darkwood was a HUGE inspiration for this especially when it comes to how savages and creatures are formed, and I don't feel it's utilized enough in MLP grimdarks due to the influence of the famous shockhorror of cupcakes being so bloody and gruesome with--no real reason. (Now I have a big gooey massive softspot for cupcakes, as I grew up with creepypastas and looking at scary videos when I shouldn't be) thus influencing the gore aspects in alot of infection aus, BUT there's too many times in the original show alone where magic is finnicky and famously difficult to do, because of so many things that can go awry. I wanted to focus on the canon implications cause it makes me salivate cause it's begging to be lovecraftian, but it's a kids show with very cute colorful ponies praising friendship as it's one true god and it can't possibly go outside those restrictions. But i'm possibly insane, so lets go for it. Thus the rest was history

[juniemunie]

[Abandoned by the Lightners, his heart became cracked with hatred.]

Hitting a lil' too close to home?

[star--nymph]

When people are critical of the last unicorn they always seem to focus on the aspect that she fell in heteronormative love with a human man and ignore exactly what that means in the greater narrative, in the same way they ignore what was being said in the original little mermaid

These aren't stories about romance, you're labeling them that because there is romantic love in it and because it's about two women, but these stories are about identity and what the transformation from immortal being to mortal actually means, that neither of them could have ever returned to what they were because to be human is to change, to evolve, to feel and to be immortal is to remain stagnant and removed. The fleeting humanity they had as these humans were more powerful than what they were as immortals and the weight of that lead to death in both senses

But sure heterosexual romance is what the original point was here I guess

[kyouka-supremacy]

I'll be completely honest: I'm happy Akutagawa's eyes are back being deep black. Like I don't want Atsushi to love Akutagawa because deep down he's been good all along I want Atsushi to love Akutagawa despite the fact that he hugely sucks

[no-charity-case]

This has inspired so many thoughts, so I figured I'll share them and bother you all some more today!

I think much of the "trying to replicate that show" issue also has to do with those within the fandom.

From what I have seen, the UK production has received much praise, and rightfully so. They made their own decisions and got positive feedback for their set (I can't find a link, but I remember reading about it), for how casting deepens the narrative or sets a precedent, for independent acting choices, and for the chemistry between actors.

However, some people have observed hate for the female Brooklyn cavalry, well Spot in particular, but (as the post jokes about) the Newsies fandom does have a tendency to hate women. But I have seen many positive content about Spot being a woman, like this fanart. If you care for looking at another positive UKsies Tumblr post, I recommend this one.

This praise for deviating from the OBC or (in post 2017 productions) from Livesies hasn't always been consistent.

For example, under every video or image of Corey Cott playing Jack Kelly, there are comments comparing him to Jeremy Jordan in a 'he'll never be that good' and a 'he's doing it wrong' kind of way.

I've also seen the fandom insulting actors for interpreting a character in a different way to the original actor (like Jacob Kemp). But can it be truly out of character if he's using the same script and has the same background information? Sure, it's different from how Ben Fankhauser, or even David Moscow, interpreted David, but why do I see people labelling Jacob's individual acting choices as 'wrong'?

People can have opinions, of course they can, I have a ton of them. However, it seems that many fans want actors to be quite cookie-cutter with their characterisation. But doesn't it suck the fun out of live theatre if every time you see a new production Newsies, or any show, everything is exactly the same?

I mean just look at UKsies Jack Kelly. He's very different from the more dejected presentation that Christian Bale or Jeremy Jordan has. The UK Jack Kelly is more hopeful, but it is in no way 'out of character'.

When it comes to other actors who have played Jack Kelly, like Corey Cott, Dan DeLuca, and Joey Barreiro, there seems to be that 'they'll never be as good as Jeremy Jordan' energy within comment sections, and every new acting choice they make is criticised. Although this is the larger opinion I've observed, I also see plenty of individual fans favouring their portrayals of Jack Kelly.

Jeremy Jordan isn't even free of this either, with people complaining about how his Jack Kelly is a downgrade from Christian Bale's Jack Kelly, which leads me to my next point.

The fandom are, at times, reluctant to embrace change.

When Newsies first became a stage production, many movie fans complained because it didn't replicate their particular version. Even today I see posts comparing the movie and musical which imply one is inferior or bad.

Here's a link to a post (from another website) which I largely disagree with. But I feel that it's relevant to this post, and I also think it's important to not surround yourself with fans who blindly agree with you (because it's in these spaces where somewhat problematic opinions such as infantilised Crutchy/Crutchie, twinkified Race, or ignoring women thrive and become the norm).

Anyways, here's a little extract from the post I've just linked which I think sums up the topic quite nicely:

In the movie, Jack was kind of understated, and I get that people read characters differently, but Jeremy Jordan completely changed him from the original Jack. They don't even feel like the same character. And since Jack Kelly is one of my all time favorite characters, I get a bit cranky when people change him.

Characters change between versions. Like Hard Promises Jack Kelly isn't 1992 Jack Kelly, and 1992 Jack Kelly isn't identical to the novel Jack Kelly or the stage Jack Kelly. Point is, different versions of Newsies and different productions want to portray certain characters differently to those who come before, which is why it's so important that actors play Jack Kelly instead of Jeremy Jordan, or play Racetrack instead of trying to replicate Ben Cook.

Jeremy Jordan didn't play Jack Kelly like Christian Bale did, and that's a good thing. Corey Cott didn't play Jack Kelly exactly how Jeremy Jordan did, and that's a good thing. Dan DeLuca's Jack Kelly is different to Corey Cott's Jack Kelly, and that's good too. As a fandom, it's good to have different interpretations of one character, it makes so many different fanon material canonically explainable. We should celebrate different interpretations of different roles just as we celebrated Michael Ahomka-Lindsay's Jack Kelly.

Also, I find it very interesting that Ben Cook is the standard for Racetrack in the musical since he didn't play Race in the OBC, Ryan Breslin did. If Livesies never happened, or if Ryan reprised his role, I do wonder how the fandom's current views on Race would differ.

But that's another thing, if Livesies never existed, the OBC would be the standard for later casts and productions to replicate instead. There's no escaping a 'standard,' even when it comes to translating the movie into a stage musical, because the fandom has expectations and you will disappoint if you don't keep the comforting/nostalgic things the same.

If Livesies was never a thing, a similar post today might read 'I wish actors would play Racetrack instead of Ryan Breslin' (which would be an equally understandable way to feel). 1992 Racetrack (Max Casella) had brown hair, brown eyes, and was short (as Max didn't hit puberty until he was 27), but Ryan made a blonde hair, blue eyed, taller (5'9 I believe) Racetrack the standard, which was maintained through the casting of Ben Cook.

The musical reinterpreted the script and the characters and received much hate for it (especially with cowboy vs artist Jack Kelly), and I still think there's much division between Newsies movie and musical fans today. But the thing is neither are 'bad' at all, people just see one version first and therefore see the other version as incorrect or inferior.

Isn't it great that we have both versions though? We can merge whichever form of Newsies media we like, because they all represent the characters differently, but they are still the same person. Why can't Jack Kelly be a cowboy and an artist?

I do really hope that the praise UKsies has received shows that the Newsies fandom has grown to embrace newer productions reinterpreting and even reinventing characters (by adding layers to characters like black Jack Kelly or female Spot Conlon) instead of trying to replicate 1992sies, the OBC, or Livesies like fansies have wanted in the past.

one negative effect of there being a Newsies: the Musical proshot is that later casts and productions will too often try to replicate that show rather than reinterpret the script and the characters for themselves

as an example I think I would like certain musical productions a lot more if the actors actually played Jack Kelly rather than played Jeremy Jordan playing Jack Kelly, or played Racetrack instead of Ben Cook, etc.

[virgil-upinthestars]

tolkien, writing a poignant and epic tale about two people overcoming thousands of years of feuding and cultural conditioning to save the world and form a lifelong bond of understanding, respect, and admiration

tumblr users: that's the gayest shit i've ever seen in my life

[the-shifting-long]

I intended for the post these tags are on to be the last thing I say about fandom misogyny for a While because I felt like I covered everything already but oh my god YES I agree So hard

In general, while I do think Princess/TLQ are permanent partners, they're also not...human. they certainly act human, but they don't carry the same societal baggage that we get saddled either by virtue of being born surrounded by other humans.

And then "marriage" as a concept is one that is so vastly different in so many cultures and time periods, and at least for the kinds of marriages I'm familiar with, there are a Lot of benefits for abusive partners and Especially men to obtain legal and financial power over their partner through marriage. Like, so much of marriage, on top of its symbolic and romantic value, is also its legal and financial ones, as well as social positioning/maneuvering-"wife" carries more weight than "girlfriend", serves as a status symbol. I don't think the Princess and TLQ would really care for that.

HEA doesn't touch on the complicated socioeconomic issues that come with marriage, especially traditional/heterosexual marriage, but it does touch on so much of the domestic unhappiness that comes with it, especially in regards to how you, the player, and the Smitten keep her in this unhappy, stale situation she's Supposed to be happy with. Opportunist even calls her "our queenly wife."

So like on top of marriage being a distinctly human construct/invention I'm not sure those two would vibe with when they can literally merge their souls together at any given moment. HEA in particular would fucking hate it. She's already Been trapped with a partner in a situation all too similar to the Traditional marriage. I could see arguments for other princesses. for a modern-AU Prisoner using marriage for tax benefits and secretly being delighted when she signs the papers, for Tower or Nightmare to make the player legally her pet in a similar fashion, for the Wounded Wild to accept it...

Never HEA. And yet the majority of StP marriage content is HEA, because she's their favorite and she's wife. Never mind how much she hated it. Never mind that her whole route is about how much she hated it. She's wife! We love her! She loves us! Of course she'd marry us, there's no other option! We HAVE to symbolically own her and tie her to us forever! Right???

[ittybittysandwhiches]

reading back my first post, i didn't really clarify how i feel specifically, so i try to do that a little bit more here.

this part is going more in depth on what i think as a white person, we (white people) need to be doing to stop perpetuating racism within our own spaces. it's more centered on white people and i wrote it that way because of this specific situation. **even though im talking about white feelings, white people should not be centered when we're talking about racism as a whole.** it's something i haven't seen discussed very much in this whole scandal but i do think it's an important part of it:

i think if ive gotten anything from this whole situation, it's a better look on how we need to look at white people's place in racism (and im saying this as a white guy). demanding accountability and still flaming people after getting it is pushing the white fragility narrative even if it's unintentional. like i was saying at the end of my first post, we have to be careful from both ends because racism is so cyclical.

like obviously no poc needs coddle white people with racist pasts or who are currently racist, and unless they feel completely safe and genuinely want to, they shouldn't.

this might be a controversial take, but as a white guy who grew up surrounded by racism in the deep south, i'm willing to sit there and coddle my fellow white people if it makes it easier for us to take accountability and start to educate ourselves and others. racism isn't about white feelings, but when white feelings are hurt, it can get it in someone's head that it's about their whiteness or them personally, and they double down on racism as if that's not what started the whole thing in the first place.

racism isn't gonna be ended and my generation, but i think that if im able to extend empathy and understanding even to people who maybe don't deserve it, it could be a step in the right direction. i would never intentionally make whiteness or white fragility the center of the conversation about racism as a whole, but i think if we want to stop the cycle, it's going to be important to accept change, education, and growth from white people. for me, this is about breaking a cycle, and i doubt it's going to be the raging magas or the white centrists who take the first step back. it will never be on poc to do this part, and poc will never owe white people anything, but white people do owe each other understanding and space to change. this goes back to the conversation about how all white people are guilty on some level.

so like, with this situation, for me and the way i try to navigate racism and do my part to be as anti-racist as possible, im willing to say "what you did was a horrible thing. you can't fix the damage but you better try your damn best. it's not on you individually that you fell into the indoctrination of racism, but now you need to understand the harm you caused and make sure you never, ever let that leave you."

hayden said something about trump supporters once along the lines of "i hope one day you realize it and the guilt eats you alive for the rest of your life," and from my perspective i can see that applying to how she feels about her racist past based on everything she's done advocacy wise. she's made it seem like she feels guilty, and i hope she genuinely does. as long as she doesn't throw that guilt away as soon as everyone forgets, (and they will, it's the internet), i will be able to see her growth.

as white people, it isn't our place to forgive, but it is our place to extend a level of understanding.

if we aren't able to accept someone else stepping forward and addressing their guilt, we won't be able to accept the same thing within ourselves.

the thing with the ethel cain apology

i'm a long time ethel fan and i wanted to talk about it. lmk if i said anything wrong or offensive, i know im not as knowledgeable on this stuff as i maybe should be to really dig into it, and i really don't want to hurt anyone or make the situation worse. i just wanted to share my opinions so yah.

also sorry in advance, my paragraphs are huge. i have a summary at the end if you don't care about explanations.

so many people are reading her statement and seeing it as her trying to excuse everything that happened and not seeing it as a defensive apology. the way i'm seeing it, STAY WITH ME she owned up to everything, she apologized for everything, she said what she did was horrible and she completely understands anyone who will not support her or her art anymore. the thing is, because all of this is coming up in a smear campaign and is very, very transphobic, (im not fighting about the transphobia or the fact its a smear campaign, it's completely uncalled for and i stand by that) her being defensive was probably a good move for her personal safety and for her mental headspace, but probably not for her public perception just because of how it is being received.

i'll explain more on why, but i really do think almost separating herself and explaining the larger harm was a good move, even if was for transphobia and not what im talking about. she's continued to be an advocate since the incident and it really hasn't changed how she operates herself and her accounts because, as it's been said, this was like ten years ago and she's done her very best to change and leave it in the past as to not hurt more people, and i honestly see that a sign that she really has changed. it's not my place to forgive her for anything, but i genuinely do think that holding onto it isn't going to do any good. she has addressed racism in the past and she has admitted that she's not guilt free and the way she conducts herself doesn't show she's racist or holds onto any racist beliefs she held onto from a few years ago, and--how i see it, at least--this is shown through her fan base being a lot of poc and marginalized groups. part of her taking accountability and trying to remedy some of the harm was creating a safe space and i think she was very successful in that. if anything, more harm is being done to black fans, hispanic fans, etc., by dragging this up. genuine fans who have been around for literally any time at all have seen her talk about her past racism and *should* know. it makes sense to not feel safe in her spaces anymore and i understand if that is a deal breaker, but i don't think those people are looking for accountability or change. if it's a deal breaker, it's a deal breaker and you block her and leave it alone. attacking her when it's clear she has been genuinely trying to remedy it for the last few years isn't doing anything in terms of making what was said hurt less and is ultimately only worsening the transphobia that's happening to her and spreading more of the racist statements around. it's good for no one.

to dig more into her past racism, i think a lot of people are seeing what she said about having an era where she was trying to be woke in high school, and then ultimately just straight up deciding to be racist, as a failure on her IT IS STAY WITH ME because they maybe aren't deep into politics and don't understand how that works on a large scale. (obviously it's also on her and it definitely was a conscious decision to hurt people, and she admitted to that and apologized, but i think it's important to understand why she was being hurtful.)

this gets into what i was talking about with the whole "separating herself and explaining the larger harm was a good move." it's a very real thing for people (white people) to become very right wing or very conservative because of feeling "othered" by the left when they have past mistakes like that. ***and that's not at all to say this compares to what poc face in terms of feeling othered and facing racism. im simply trying to point out a thing that happens. white people do NOT face systemic racism, and i know that. i promise what im saying is a real thing and im trying to explain why this happens, not at all trying to say its okay for white people to "turn racist" or say this phenomenon can be blamed on poc. it's rooted in racism and another bad thing racism does.***

it's very easy for white leftists to hear "all white people are racist," "all white people have racial bias," etc., and decide that it's a personal attack against them and not a statement on how racism and prejudice works in america as a whole. while it's certainly not up to par with the things poc hear and see and they racism and prejudice they face, it does happen and it can be hurtful to people who are trying to change and be better but are feeling like it doesn't matter if they do. it's not an excuse and it doesn't make it better, but it is a phenomenon that i think is important to recognize and hopefully remedy. i'm not too well versed in racial theory and such, but from my understanding, it starts because racism makes poc feel othered and as a result they try to separate themselves, and then in return have a sort of "prejudice" or "racial bias" (i can't think of a better way to phrase that, what they're feeling is in no way comparable to the prejudice and racial bias against them) against white people that makes them in turn feel othered, and it sort of snowballs and makes the problem worse. it's a problem that needs to be fixed on a societal level and whatever hayden does won't change it. she fed into it in the past, addressed it now, apologized, and did what she could in terms of accountability on the internet (but that's a whole different topic i could go into). the important thing is that now, she doesn't repeat the past mistake and let herself get hurt by this and go back to intentionally hurting people because she herself feels hurt. so far, (though it's been less than a week so we don't really know yet), she hasn't, and i think it's definitely a step in the right direction and shows her growth. personally, i'm going innocent until proven guilty on this one. if she backslides, it will prove she never truly changed her mindset, but until then, i will still see her as i saw her before. she's built her current platform on advocacy, and i respect her for that. she's addressed past racism before on her own terms, and i respect her for that as well.

i really do think most of the *current* situation comes down to "when people feel hurt, they hurt other people." from here, the only way to end that cycle and to sit back and say "what you did was wrong," and then leave it alone. if we're genuinely looking for accountability, done. if what she's done isn't enough, it was never about accountability in the first place and the cycle will continue with feeling hurt by what she did and hurting her right back. the only real reason i can see anyone not seeing the apology and the way she's handled herself for the past few years as accountability, is if they read her letter and saw the defensiveness and thought she was being dismissive rather than scared. in that situation, it's a matter of literacy and context and nuance they're missing and probably won't find, and it's whatever, i'm not here to judge how anyone's reacting to this or looking at it. but as for me, looking at her art, you need all of those things (literacy, context, nuance) so i don't really think they would ever genuinely like hayden as a person or the ethel cain persona anyway if they aren't willing to look from a broader perspective and try to understand. it's understandable though and i get it if they don't want to do that because of the situation. a lot of the responses to the other stuff (ex. the shirt, the drawing) had me being like "did we listen to the same albums???" so idk. but i do want to clarify before i move on that i don't think forgiving her makes anyone "more correct" or "smarter" and this is not supposed to be putting any one side up on a high horse, just in case it came off that way.

in the end, it'll probably just means she has a smaller platform, so like whatever idc i've been here since it was small anyway. she's definitely not for everyone and getting that big that fast was for sure leading up to all this.

but anyway, to summarize my take on the whole situation: what she did was bad, she took accountability and we've seen her trying to fix it for years. i think she handled it well as a person, maybe not as a public persona, but imo ethel got too big too fast anyway. dragging up this kind of stuff *on people who have proved time and time again that they want to be a good person and who use their platforms for advocacy* will only ever hurt more people, especially when it's stuff that's been brought up and apologized for in the past (it hasn't been in this much detail but whatev). racism is a really complicated issue to handle because of its cyclical nature, so the way it's handled **from both sides of this argument** needs to be very intentional. the way it's being handled now, **from both sides,** is not intentional and i really, truly, do believe it's making it worse.

if you wanted accountability, you got it. if it's not enough, block her, leave the fandom, and move on before you get yourself or anyone else more hurt.

[scuderia-hamilton]

.

[earl-grey-crow]

SCREAMING SOBBING WHAT DID I JUST WATCH

[danwhobrowses]

Okay I've had a sleep, I've seen a lot of what the fandom has to say and I'm gonna just talk about my thoughts on the episode 118 stuff in more detail too.

Spoilers under the cut and it's a little bit (5 paras and a tl/dr at the bottom) long

I have never liked the Release Predathos option, but it had been very apparent - since probably as far back as the vorbing - that Matt had been pushing the narrative towards that option whether Bells Hells wanted it or not. The lack of alternatives provided meant that yes, the Hells had little choice but to deal with Predathos themselves; Ludinus was likely not dead, they were low on strength and resources even after a short rest to fight another full-strength Ludinus, and even if they caved in the core and killed Ludinus again someone else would've tried to come and release Predathos. On that I can't really fault the cast for playing ball with the DM and I can't say what the characters are doing is out of character or with bad intentions, it simply annoys me how close we were to entertaining the idea that should've been discussed earlier of putting Predathos somewhere nobody can get to. Objectively it was still a terrible idea, one that even in delivery could've been better prepared with Imogen not in range of the two saving throw buffs or having any Inspiration as she took on Predathos knowing from previous experience that a wisdom save is likely to be involved. But again, the alternatives offered up to them are sparse, nothing else in the narrative had offered a clear solution and if something did suddenly come up it would've felt too much like a deus ex machina. The Hells are not doing this because they want to do Ludinus' plan, but doing so is by proxy doing Ludinus' plan, and thus the problem as of current lies in the Plot.

Right now, they're at a very high risk of the plot not justifying a story, because why did we have this campaign if the outcome is gonna be the same? If the plan is to reset Exandria why didn't we have C3 in the post-reset era and trickle in what happened as lore? Bells Hells have often lacked agency when it came to the Predathos portions of the campaign, but even when they took agency to try and be more than what they were made to be they found themselves punished or being withheld the catharsis they needed to grow. Regardless, the plot is currently failing the characters, and thus the characters are failing the audience - to the point where some in the fandom now want them all to die or for Braius to betray them all - because we the audience don't see the appeal of the direction.

There is a caveat though: it's not yet over. We expect that there will be a fight between the Hells and Predathos!Imogen (we need a name for that) and possibly Ludinus swooping in with the harness to try and steal a victory, but that does mean that the theatre of imagination can come into play in dealing with Predathos itself. There is of course uncertainty whether Predathos can die, since Vecna at 0hp would've just discorporated them for a bit, but there are a lot more options for the Hells to entertain now than there was at 118, including having to kill the vessel - be it Imogen or transferring it to another like Ludinus or Liliana, being able to expel Predathos from Imogen and entrapping/banishing/killing it with the knowledge that yeah that was a terrible idea, or somehow having Imogen suppress it and remain control over herself (and hope that the same rule doesn't apply to her as it does with Delilah being free when Laudna dies), which all can involve exciting twists and turns and creative solutions befitting of a conclusion. In that hope is the opening for a more exciting and satisfying end, and while the plot has had rightful criticisms a good ending can make up for them just as much as a bad ending can ruin a good plot.

So in short; I don't like that Imogen did that, but I know why she did it. And why she did it is more the plot's fault because we never saw it as a good idea, just the only decision that was pushed to be made. There's hope though, and all is not lost, but the plot as well as the characters are gonna have to earn it.

[potionwine]

Oooh, you’ve also seen Nirvana in Fire?!? That was SO good. And as inspiration for PF?? That, explains some things, dang! It works

My friend. My dear. My lovely Cimi—

WHAT in the world—

Have I seen the drama that bloody changed my life; my favourite comfort c-drama; the series that I rewatch yearly the way I rewatch lotr every Christmastime; that exquisite story with the most incredible breadth and variety of characters with impeccable character work and amazing themes and an ending that respects its viewers which however tragic is thoroughly earned and identity porn and politics and pride and grief, god, so much grief—and an Emperor who is shakespearean in his tragedy and—

Okay. Okay, no, you could not have known, tis a failure of my part if I have not spoken enough about it—I probably mostly reply to other people's posts as they liveblog their watching but. BUT. God when I saw your ask it felt like you came up to me to remark "hey wow so you also ship PF?" that's how gobsmacked I was lol!!!

I have dragged everyone in my life into watching this show! I have mutuals on here who can testify to my introducing them to it omg. I just checked and the earliest NIF post I reblogged was in 2016 so I have been watching it every year since 2016 hahaha!!! Although it's pretty complex chinese, and since so much of the show is made up of characters sitting around talking the intricate plot into existence, it's not really a beginner-friendly c-drama either!!!

NOW I DIDN'T KNOW YOU'VE WATCHED IT TOO???!!!

I. have. been. going. UTTERLY MENTAL. at the lack of anyone with whom I could talk about it? OR SO I THOUGHT. So many times I thought of going into our discord to be like "has anyone ever heard of NIF because hhhhhhh the phoenixflare resonance" or like "so is anyone into TGCF perhaps perchance mayhap???"——because heh. hehehehe. heheheh??? My fic is practically a NIF/TGCF mashup, it's a Lin Shu+Xie Lian!Joshua Rosfield & Jingyan+Hua Cheng!Dion Lesage——and I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I wanted to ask god please does anyone else see my vision please god does anyone?? but no one would even understand the references, and I couldn't even ask in areas (asian fandom) where there would be a higher chance of people knowing what crack I'm on because asian fandom is all about that...you know...that I loathe—and I have been in pain and I thought right well fine I'm writing the fic anyway it's fine if I have no one to scream about it with because I'm writing it and then I'll find fellow competence porn+politics enjoyers if they find my fic and—and.

God. What an earth-shattering message to receive in my askbox! You are some sort of miracle <3

Do you see it??? Do you see it? A boy who burned to death in an inferno as an innocent betrayed youth in a catastrophic event caused by his own family, his father slain, his entire clan (and all the troops under his banner) wiped out or scattered. A boy reborn after extensive and horrific injuries after an agonisingly long period of recovery: a ghost who crawled his way out of the gates of hell, the last of his broken once-noble house.

That boy's transformation into his new identity of Mei Changsu/Margrace. His off-screen discovery of the truth that led to Meiling/Phoenix Gate and his continued on-screen quest to learn more. His determination to hold the true culprits accountable at immense personal cost and suffering. His dogged persistence despite incredible odds and visibly failing health. Being surrounded by people who love him and want to protect him, and himself constantly undermining their efforts because his goals are more important than his health. (Because in truth he knows perfectly well that he won't survive, but he can make a difference while he is alive.)

Something that amuses me hugely is how Lin Shu and Joshua literally both come back as 宗主? I love it so much! They come back with the same title! Both of them come back as clan leaders of an organisation that obeys their every command! Margrace is the 不死鳥教団の宗主(=leader of the cult of the undying bird) and Mei Changsu is 江左盟的宗主(=leader of the Jiangzuo alliance).

AND. Hooooo yea this PF fic is just JingSu at this point because oh, a handsome, principled, prideful, and stubborn prince who is a decorated warrior famed for his numerous military accomplishments and the man who is essential to the success of Lin Shu's/Joshua's plans? The resurrected boy barging into his prince's life: no matter how insane it is to choose your side, still "I choose you, Your Highness Prince Jing"??? The fact that the undervalued prince has a history with our secretive ghost protagonist? And (arguably) frequently thought about and missed the bright boy he knew once upon a time in happier days—"I know you," says Dion Lesage without a shadow of a doubt, extremely normal of him to instantly recognise a dead boy he met 20 years ago?

Mutual admiration of each other's integrity and capabilities? Reciprocal faith and remembrance? The foundation of deep respect and enduring friendship, their shared goals and shared family??? I froth at the mouth. JingSu are cousins, PF are stepsiblings by their parents' marriage. Each pair is bound by destiny and by choice—other people have made choices that permanently entangled each pair's lives together forevermore (Joshua+Dion and Jingyan+Xiaoshu), and the choice they themselves personally made to choose each other—

DO YOU SEE THE VISION.

How difficult it is to pursue justice when everyone involved is family and how impossible it is for Lin Shu the nigh-extinguished Chiyan fire for Joshua, the guttering flame, to indict Jingyan's father the Emperor of Liang Dion's father the Emperor of Sanbreque of his crimes against Joshua's family without opening old wounds and hurting many loved ones in the process including Dion himself. The people directly responsible for the tragedies are related to the protagonists in one way or another! If Lin Shu Joshua ever wants resolution for his grief unending, he has to strike at his beloved's father, and plot meticulously to avoid all of the dangers of attacking such a powerful enemy.

(Of course, I acknowledge the critical difference in Jingyan's versus Dion's feelings about their respective fathers.)

Now if only Joshua had done the famous blizzard scene with Dion instead of letting him go off to carry out his ill-advised coup—"Xiao Jingyan! You stand where you are! If I don't stop you today, what are you going to do? What do you think you can possibly accomplish if you charge in to challenge imperial power like this? Do you think you can simply force the Emperor [to do what you want/change his mind about Anabella Wei Zheng]? You have honour and valour but why do you just not have brains! How many more people must be hurt, you tell me!"

Anyway Joshy doesn't have the insufferable smugness of Xiaoshu but he does absolutely have Xiaoshu's pride, the sort of pride that is not just personal pride but familial pride too (after all Joshua comes from extremely prestigious lineage)—just look at how he speaks to Ultima in every scene, his lordly manner. Joshua I think has more Consort Jing to him, and Consort Jing is only my favourite character in all of NIF, in a drama where I love every character to bits—steel in softness, ever gentle ever polite yet not to be bullied and not to be underestimated and also extremely perceptive and learned and patient. Extra sweet bonus that Consort Jing is also a healer. Elegant, restrained, and very repressed. Who knows the depths of Joshua's Consort Jing's grief and loss?

But you know, Jingyan, near the end he is completely in charge—the prince who was always a great and respected general on the battlefield is now more than that, he's directly taking responsibility for all of his people as their future ruler—that means thinking on multiple fronts and exerting control over all of the key governing officials, not merely his military officers. He's leading with confidence, and there's that little scene where he apologises to Xiaoshu for taking action on several plans without consulting him, and Xiaoshu says no, this is the way it should be, this is the correct state of affairs: you are the crown prince, and this is rightfully your arena. You lead, you decide, you command.

Jingyan now sees clearly, he's found out and accepted the truths of his father's role in the atrocity at Meiling and everything that happened back then. He rightly perceives the failings of his family and seeks to redress past wrongs and avoid repetition of past mistakes, he weeds his court of the corrupt and the cowardly, he's become the best possible version of himself: stronger than ever, not just a powerful wartime commander-in-chief but an inspiring leader in the imperial court, careful, thoughtful and politically up-to-speed, finally stable in his sense of self instead of being permanently stuck as that angry and lost and hurting child. He has renewed purpose, he possesses hope for the future, he is able to dedicate himself fully to what he truly believes to be right and act in furtherance of righteous causes—

Critically, this is the man he becomes only because Xiaoshu came back into his life to shake it up. Without Xiaoshu he wouldn't even have the opportunity or means or knowledge. The radiant and fiery boy who Jingyan missed all his life came back to save him. From the outsider prince without contacts or support within the imperial court->to the crown prince who has the court subdued within the palm of his hand. From his pitiful existence as a neglected, unfavoured prince, his lowkey constant simmering resentment, his half-dutiful half-forced obedience of paternal orders that chafe at his conscience->into the steadfast and self-assured prince who is capable of fighting for the betterment of his country and the rallying point for virtuous officials who share those aspirations. The drama shows the audience that Jingyan is unquestionably ready to assume rulership, and together with the person he loves most, they achieve their goals, they save each other and their country (by arresting its downward slide due to the rotten state of its governance).

It's just a strong headcanon of mine (albeit one that I can absolutely present extensive arguments for) but to me Joshua Rosfield is the one and only character able to perform that same abovementioned function for Dion Lesage. Catalyst, turning point, spark that ignites the fire—whatever you call it, this is salvation. It is beautifully poetic that both Lin Shu and Joshua are characterised by fire. They are the fires of change that burn away the old life: before their arrival, the two war princes exist in a state of wearying routine, long-suffering and almost hopeless. Both Jingyan and Dion are shackled by their stations and duties, both are unloved sons with virtually no chance of their circumstances improving without drastic action, and both are trapped in precarious situations where they are subject to the whims of their father (if their imperial fathers turn on them, it will result in irrevocable loss of their status).

Dion's position is weak in the Oriflamme imperial court—pretty sure this point isn't up for debate, since no one ever speaks up in support of him despite the obvious injustice of his ill-treatment. His degree of influence in the court is much, much, so much less than any reasonable person might expect someone who is literally Bahamut and crown prince to have. The Council of Elders and other officials stand by haplessly while he is progressively stripped of power in favour of Olivier. Nobody defends him, nobody objects. (Or maybe some did, and were eliminated.) Even Dion himself submits to the abuse despite inherently superior abilities. Career politicians know which direction the winds blow—they don't defy their Empress, meaning they are either her cronies or too fearful of her to make themselves a target by any raising any opposition. Added to that is the implication that Dion was often away for long periods—and as Xiaoshu explicitly tells Jingyan in the drama, the crown prince cannot leave the imperial capital untended because that is the surest way to lose power. Dion may be Sanbreque's mightiest weapon and revered by the populace, but in practice his political sway is almost negligible. He is not able to leverage himself effectively.

Don't get me wrong, for these reasons I extra extra love the canon portrayal of J*** obeying Joshua against her wishes and T****** obeying Dion against his wishes—I absolutely think their obedience is, to them, the truest and highest and final demonstration of their love and understanding of their respective masters. And both Joshua and Dion expected no less from them. [I've not typed the names out just in case the search function ends up capturing the post and putting it in their tags, not because I hate those characters; I just don't want to be uncivil within fandom.]

But the very point here is that, you know, sometimes you aren't supposed to leave someone just because they say so. Sometimes it is the worst possible course of action to obey someone just because they command it. Sometimes it is undesirable at best and disastrous at worst to support someone's every decision out of unchanging (if uncharitable, one might even say unthinking) loyalty. That is a fundamentally unequal relationship, and while beautiful in its own way, is also uniquely doomed. The truth is, Joshua was always going to pull that trigger, and Dion was always going to pull that trigger: the master was always going to sever the relationship. Those pairs were doomed as soon as they began, because one party can only ever say yes, and yes means the end, you see? That is The End, that is the final break. By their very subordinate nature and by their established personalities within the game, "yes" is the one and only answer J*** and T****** can ever or will ever give. Their master will say, "Leave me", meaning it is over, and they will reply, "Yes, I obey". Because this is the only answer that proves their devotion, leaving them totally incapable of changing the script. Both J*** and T****** knew it and played their parts to perfection, and my heart hurts for them.

In NIF terms, I reckon J*** is Gong Yu, and T****** is Lie Zhanying. Zhanying will follow Jingyan to the end, whatever it may be—in fact in one episode he explicitly says so, and his loyalty is never in doubt. He will go to his death if Jingyan orders it. He will always support Jingyan's decisions. He and the rest of Jingyan's men have been following Jingyan even when the prince was out of favour and cold-shouldered and constantly dispatched to safeguard the country's frontiers—inconvenient places where comfort is low and the environment harsh. Jingyan's favoured brothers live in the lap of luxury within their palaces (like Olivier), while Jingyan himself (like Dion) has always been at war. And as with Zhanying, T****** will never be able to change this status quo on behalf of Jingyan (Dion). For all his boundless dedication to his lord, Zhanying will never be able to improve his prince's standing in the court, never be able to secure more political power for his prince (unless his prince decides to revolt/coup), never be able to make his prince's father love or prize his prince.

It is not a problem of character or willpower or desire. It is, simply put, a problem of power. It is a problem of class. The servant rises as their master rises, and falls as their master falls. In other words, the servant's status is determined by their master's status. Zhanying is Jingyan's deputy. When Jingyan's status was elevated, Zhanying naturally also assumed commandership over more troop divisions because those were allocated to the prince by the Liang Emperor. (There is no doubt in my mind that T******'s status as second-in-command is because of Prince Dion. He's too young to have earned that position by gradual promotion through meritorious accomplishment. Unless you're telling me that the knights dragoon don't have a single officer above age 30.) Zhanying is invaluable to Prince Jing in security, in warcraft, and in a variety of generic daily tasks. However, he is part of the rigid imperial system and lower in the hierarchy. He may persuade his lord, but he cannot order him. He may disagree, but he cannot defy. He may privately despise the Emperor/Empress, but he cannot show it and cannot act on it (literally treason). His role is to follow and obey. If he does not perform that role for whatever reason, he fundamentally negates his utility to his lord.

Ergo, endgame Jingyan is only possible because his true equal and soulmate, his real zhiji, came back to challenge the status quo. In fact, came back to challenge him. It is not merely the fact that this person understands him above all, it is also the fact that this person has the ability to act on that understanding. Jingyan is technically also Xiaoshu's prince, master, and eventual Emperor—so where is the difference?

The difference is, Lin Shu is comparable in nobility. Lin Shu is the cousin of princes and the incumbent Emperor's nephew, Lin Shu was raised amongst the imperial household, and played and studied and fought and hung out with them as peers of roughly equal rank. In this respect Joshua actually outstrips Lin Shu: Joshua is a prince by blood, and had Rosaria not fallen (especially if Sylvestre had not risen to the throne), would have been higher status than Dion. It's a massive pet peeve of mine that so many fans in XVI fandom don't seem to realise that Joshua was crown prince? Everybody knows Dion is crown prince, but do they realise Joshua is the original? In the English version prologue, the knights do call him "prince" and "your highness". The Rosarian throne is Joshua's by right of birth. At the time of their meeting as children, Joshua outranked Dion. They were equals as Dominants of their nation, but Dion back then was the child of a Cardinal and not the child of Sanbreque's ruler at that time; i.e. he was not a prince and not in line for the Sanbrequois throne.

The other wonderful similarity is Lin Shu's and Joshua's statuses as outsiders to the system when they reintroduce themselves to Jingyan/Dion. As Jingyan's strategist, Lin Shu has more leeway with regards to making his prince listen to him and take his advice. But importantly, he is now Mei Changsu, and that means he is able to play outside of the system. The imperial system effectively cast him out when it killed him. The strict codes of imperial conduct no longer chain him as they chain those confined within its structure. As a free agent unlike Zhanying, he has the right and privilege of choosing his own master. That includes the right to leave or to change his mind. And although the prince's strategist is supposed to be subordinate too, Xiaoshu would never truly be subordinate in the same fashion no matter how many times he bows his head, because at his core he is still high nobility and it still shines through despite everything. His manners are still perfect. He still navigates life with the easy expectation that people will serve him. He grabs the Duchess' hand and yells at Prince Jing and gloats at Marquis Ning. It's all the little ways that remind the audience, over and over, that this man was raised as a posh lordling. You can remove the boy from the upper class but you can't remove the upper class from the boy. It's the same with Joshua. His manners are still court-perfect. He still moves through life accepting that he will be served. He may bow his head to Dion and call him "your highness" but he also takes the liberty of throwing himself at Dion for a hug. Because to him, the prince is not some lofty and untouchable figure to be addressed with unfailing deference, he's just a friend.

(I know T****** is minor nobility, to be honest Zhanying definitely is too. The deputies of high level royals aren't going to be commoners. But I don't think I have to explain the gulf between ruling class/a close blood relative of the monarch versus lower nobility.)

Joshua too is an outsider that isn't beholden to Sanbreque's Emperor in the way that all of Dion and his knights owe their fealty. Again in this respect Joshua has it better than Xiaoshu—Joshua is his own sovereign master, and that should impact his perspective, his sense of self, and therefore his behaviour with others and how he navigates the world.

Gong Yu... I think anyone who's watched NIF will know exactly why I say that J***'s counterpart is Gong Yu lol. I think the s/h/u/a/t/e/s want her counterpart to be Princess (Duchess) Nihuang and they certainly produce fanwork in that vein, and I respect them for it because fans be doing what they love and hooray for that. But..... she's Gong Yu.

For all these reasons I am utterly obsessed with a Joshua that pushes back at Dion. The person able to challenge the status quo and challenge Dion. An equal who listens to Dion's absurd speech in the palace at Twinside and calls utter bullshit, who says, "A matter for the imperial family? are you joking? that's my mother, that's my younger brother. an imperial matter for you to resolve? say rather, our family, OUR problem to resolve. You don't get to go off half-cooked to arrest or kill my mother without actual political strategies, notwithstanding your military capability to launch a coup. And also, what about your dad? However much I love you, my darling Dion, we have to talk about the way that you insist on poor little meow meowing your awful father because my dear old mum didn't do Phoenix Gate alone and she for sure didn't immaculately conceive Olivier."

Endgame Dion isn't satisfactory in several glaring ways and it annoys me hugely that even unto the end he never grapples with and confronts the truth of his father instead of the idealised version that lives in his head. It's a little bizarre how Dion's arc is often praised by fans, since it feels very incomplete to me. Or, well, fine, perhaps just unsatisfying (since XVI simply isn't his story). His deep-seated need to be loved by his father prevents him from seeing anything clearly, which is so ironic for the only character to possess a third eye in canon? His honour and his might have been squandered in service to a selfish, uncaring, and objectively bad monarch, yet despite how earnestly Dion wants to be a good prince to his people he seems wholly incapable of recognising this fact? His mind repeatedly shies away from his father's shortcomings. In one scene he calls his father out for words befitting a tyrant, yet ultimately he persists in the belief that his father simply needs to be saved from Anabella's evil influence as if Sylvestre Lesage isn't a 50-year-old adult man who schemed his way to the throne and killed a woman's whole family and happily married that woman to beget legitimate offspring with her.

Soooo....... I've just spoiled the whole plot of my fic but it's really just NIF nonsense as usual and that is actually extremely predictable of me. But honestly the spoiling is not a big deal, because as with NIF, fundamentally my story is not meant to be plot-twisty and suspenseful—the real storytelling skill of the NIF drama is that the audience should be able to quickly grasp the overarching plot with no difficulty because the pleasure of this particular type of story is to watch the protagonist achieve their heart's desire, step by delicious step. The objective of this type of story is to properly pay off what it promises. NIF=the wronged protagonist seeks justice. We already know Lin Shu will obtain justice by the end of the tale, what we are here to enjoy is the journey! Same really for IEM I reckon; by the end of chapter 1 Joshua's goals should be really obvious, and since my little fic will have the happy ending tag because I only ever write happy endings, the audience basically knows he'll succeed—it's very much a journey not destination kind of story.

Ooof the post is crazy long and took me 3 nights to compose an answer and I haven't even managed to go into any TGCF elements but that work mainly contributes to characterisation instead of plot. One of the craziest XVI scenes was the Hideaway's sickbay after Twinside, the genuine regret Joshua expressed and how he blamed himself for not reaching out to Dion sooner; now the Empire and her prince lie in ruins etc. Surely he remembers this is the country that destroyed his own? Surely??? What kind of person, robbed of home and throne, can find it in himself to respond with so much empathy and kindness? Sanbreque has now experienced pretty much the same tragedy they inflicted on Rosaria two decades ago, and isn't that just the funniest parody of divine retribution? Instead of viewing this as Sanbreque's just deserts, Joshua Rosfield pities them and wishes he could have helped them avert this disaster.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderfully Xie Lian-coded. Something something someone who has been through the worst and nevertheless chooses goodness and kindness. Someone who intimately understands the ugliest and lowest depths that people sink to, yet refuse to lose themselves in that temptation even when vengeance would seem perfectly justified.

You've known for a long time now that I love a Joshua who is very similar to his mother. This is why lol. It's about that delicious, delicious contrasting foil. It is the difference between Jun Wu & Xie Lian, as it is the difference between Anabella & Joshua. That the indestructible integrity we see from Xie Lian or Joshua didn't come easy, they weren't born perfect, their ethics were tested and forged and earned through suffering the likes of which most people will never know. The person that they have each become is the sum of their choices actively made. In the canon of TGCF and XVI, both of these ex-crown-princes live on in disgrace, in circumstances best described as reduced and humiliating, their respective kingdoms fallen, their wealth and glory spent—but they are better and braver human beings than everyone around them, they are beautiful and noble souls, quiet and unacknowledged, and only Hua Cheng and Dion truly see and fully understand that (and therefore cannot help but love them utterly).

I've a few more thoughts regarding Joshua swirling around as captured in other Xie Lian posts: here, here, here, and here. Not sure if you know TGCF or are into it as well, but just leaving links to those posts here for my own benefit too. I've been gravitating towards phoenixflare comparisons in various hualian meta posts since early 2024 so clearly these concepts have been stewing in my head for some duration, but I haven't fully teased out what it is about these two ships that gives me that niggling sense of connecting similarities.

^ Whereas I clearly know exactly what it is about JingSu that makes me point and holler "THEM!"

[moongothic]

You know I realize I forgot to mention this before in the Crocodile Power Level Speculation Post/Ask (btw I did go back to edit it so it's actually legible and has a point now lmao)

I really wanna know if Croc has any new tricks with his hook

Like in Alabasta the dude had a poison hook under his regular hook, which was also hiding a tiny blade beneath it as well. This is all fine and dandy, absolutely iconic etc etc

And then we never see him reuse either feature again.

Now to be fair, the only other time we could've seen Crocodile use them would've been in Marineford, but the dude just escaped from prison. Although people are quick to meme about the Marines being 'kind enough' to let Crocodile keep his gigantic fucking hook in prison-- If we're being realistic here, they probably let him keep the base of the hook simply because without a hand any shackle would just slide off his wrist and fall off. Of course he wouldn't still be able to escape or anything since he'd still have the Seastone cuff on his right, but if they wanted to keep him properly shackled then letting him keep even just the hook base would just be the easiest option for the Marines.

It's the fact that the Marines went out of their way to retrieve his missing hook attachment and gave it back to him that's a bit wild

But let's keep in mind that Luffy did break the poison hook back in Alabasta. Even if the Marines let Croc keep the hook attachment, I find it extremely unlikely they would've gone out of their way to fix/replaced the poison hook when the guy's going to jail anyways. If anything it'd make far more sense if they got rid of whatever poison might've still been left in the base and confiscated the blade. Like there's an argument to be made for the Marines letting Crocodile keep his hook due to disability reasons, but the poison and the purely stabby weapon? Not so much

So really, it's very likely the reason Crocodile never used his other weapons in Marineford might've just been that he literally didn't have them on him at the time, just the basic hook

But hey, it's been two whole whooping years. That would be plenty of time for him to replace the broken hook and blade and get some new poison into the hook base too while he's at it

Or

Are there any new weapons Crocodile could've gotten inserted into his hook base that he could whip out

Like just because he could get a new poison hook it doesn't mean he has to get a poison hook, same for the blade as well, right

To be fair, dude feels very old fashioned so I'm not expecting any Inspector Gadget kinda tech from him. Like I don't think Crocodile's knowledgeable about stuff like that himself, at least not enough to install any technically advanced weaponry into the hook on his own, and IDK if he'd trust his hook with anyone to "upgrade it" either for an extended period of time either

But could you imagine if Croc had gotten access to a busted ass Pacifista and stole a laser and had it built into his hook base. He just pulls of the hook and starts blasting people with the laser. How fucking funny would that be. Franky eat your heart out

[tsuncda]

so am i right or am i right in my assertion that bridgerton doesn't actually do character work, it just rebrands it's main characters before their season begins and tries to recontextualize them as poor little meow meows.